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There are many terms for the
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
. In English the demonym, or noun, is German. During the early
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
, "German" implied that the person spoke
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
as a native language. Until the German unification, people living in what is now Germany were named for the region in which they lived: examples are
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
ns and
Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 squ ...
ers. Some terms are humorous or
pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...
slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gr ...
, and used mainly by people from other countries, although they can be used in a self-deprecating way by German people themselves. Other terms are serious or tongue-in-cheek attempts to
coin A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order ...
words as alternatives to the ambiguous standard terms. Many pejorative terms for Germans in various countries originated during the two World Wars.


English


Hun (pejorative)

''Hun'' (or ''The Hun'') is a term that originally refers to the nomadic
Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...
of the Migration Period. Beginning in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
it became an often used pejorative seen on war posters by western Allied powers. The wartime association of the term with Germans is believed to have been inspired by an earlier address to Imperial German troops by Kaiser Wilhelm II. What is dubbed the "
Hun speech The Hun speech was delivered by German emperor Wilhelm II on 27 July 1900 in Bremerhaven, on the occasion of the farewell of parts of the German East Asian Expeditionary Corps (). The expeditionary corps were sent to Imperial China ...
" (') was delivered on 27 July 1900, when he bade farewell to the German expeditionary corps sailing from the port of Bremerhaven to take part in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion. The relevant part of the speech was: The theme of Hunnic savagery was then developed in a speech of
August Bebel Ferdinand August Bebel (22 February 1840 – 13 August 1913) was a German socialist politician, writer, and orator. He is best remembered as one of the founders of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany (SDAP) in 1869, which in 1875 mer ...
in the Reichstag in which he recounted details of the cruelty of the German expedition which were taken from soldiers' letters home, styled the ' (letters from the Huns). The Kaiser's speech was widely reported in the European press at that time. At the start of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, and following the brutal and ruthless actions of the German Army during their invasion of Belgium, the term was revived: It became the basis for the characterisation of the Germans during World War I as barbarians and savages with no respect for European civilisation and humanitarian values. The term "Hun" from this speech was later used for the Germans by British and other Allied propaganda during the war. The comparison was helped by the spiked '' Pickelhaube'' helmet worn by German forces until 1916, which would be reminiscent of images depicting ancient warrior helmets (not necessarily that of actual historical Huns). This usage, emphasising the idea that the Germans were barbarians, was reinforced by the propaganda utilized throughout the war. The French songwriter Théodore Botrel described the Kaiser as "an Attila, without remorse", launching "cannibal hordes". By coincidence, Gott mit uns ("God is with us"), a motto first used in the
Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
and later the
German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
, may have contributed to the popularization of 'Huns' as British Army slang for Germans by misreading 'uns' for 'Huns'. The usage of the term "Hun" to describe Germans resurfaced during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, although less frequently than in the previous war. For example in 1941,
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
said in a broadcast speech: "There are less than 70,000,000 malignant Huns, some of whom are curable and others killable, most of whom are already engaged in holding down Austrians, Czechs, Poles and the many other ancient races they now bully and pillage." Later that year Churchill referred to the invasion of the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
as "the dull, drilled, docile brutish masses of the Hun soldiery, plodding on like a swarm of crawling locusts." During this time American President Franklin D. Roosevelt also referred to the German people in this way, saying that an Allied invasion into Southern France would surely "be successful and of great assistance to Eisenhower in driving the Huns from France."


Fritz

British soldiers employed a variety of epithets for the Germans. '' Fritz'', a German pet form of Friedrich, was popular in both World War I and
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.


Heinie (pejorative)

The
Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...
and
Canadians Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
referred to Germans, especially German soldiers, as ''Heinies'', from a diminutive of the common German male proper name Heinrich. For example, in the film '' 1941'' the Slim Pickens character calls a German officer "''Mr Hynee Kraut!''" Heinie is also a colloquial term for buttocks, in use since the 1920s. In German, '' Heini'' is a common colloquial term with a slightly pejorative meaning similar to "moron" or "idiot", but it could be of different origin.


Jerry

''Jerry'' was a nickname given to Germans mostly during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
by soldiers and civilians of the Allied nations, in particular by the British. The nickname was originally created during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. The term is the basis for the name of the jerrycan. The name may simply be an alteration of the word ''German''. Alternatively, Jerry may possibly be derived from the stahlhelm introduced in 1916, which was said by British soldiers to resemble a chamber pot or Jeroboam.


Kraut (pejorative)

Kraut is a German word recorded in English from 1918 onwards as a derogatory term for a German, particularly a German soldier during World War I and World War II. This is probably based on
sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ...
, which is popular in various South German cuisines but not traditionally prepared in North Germany. The stereotype of the sauerkraut-eating German pre-dates this, as it appears in Jules Verne's depiction of the evil German industrialist Schultze as an avid sauerkraut eater in '' The Begum's Fortune''. Schultze's antagonist is an Alsatian who hates sauerkraut but pretends to love it to win his enemy's confidence. "Kraut" may refer to the practice of distributing sauerkraut on German ships to prevent
scurvy Scurvy is a deficiency disease, disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, anemia, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, ch ...
just as the English were referred to as limeys by Americans for their use of lime juice in navy ships. The rock music genre krautrock has been commonplace in music journalism since the early 1970s and is of English invention.


Nazi (pejorative)

''Nazi'', a shortening of ''Nationalsozialist'' (National Socialist) (attested since 1903, as a shortening of ''national-sozial'',
Nazi
Etymology Online, citing Friedrich Kluge, Elmar Seebold, ''Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache'', 24. Auflage (Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2002, )
since in German the ''nati-'' in ''national'' is approximately pronounced ''Nazi''. A homonymic term ''Nazi'' was in use before the rise of the NSDAP in Bavaria as a pet name for Ignaz and (by extension from that) a derogatory word for a backwards peasant, which may have influenced the use of that abbreviation by the Nazis′ opponents and its avoidance by the Nazis themselves.


Ted

"Ted", and "Teds", from ''Tedeschi'', the Italian word for Germans, became the term used by Allied soldiers during the Italian campaign of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.


Teuton (poetic)

In a more poetical sense Germans can be referred to as ''Teutons''. The usage of the word in this term has been observed in English since 1833. The word originated via an ancient Germanic tribe, the
Teutons The Teutons ( la, Teutones, , grc, Τεύτονες) were an ancient northern European tribe mentioned by Roman authors. The Teutons are best known for their participation, together with the Cimbri and other groups, in the Cimbrian War with th ...
and was (see also Teutonic and the Teutonic Order).


Boche (pejorative)

Pronounced , ' is a derisive term used by the Allies during World War I, often collectively ("the Boche" meaning "the Germans"). It is a shortened form of the French slang
portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsCurrent History'', the origin is as follows:


Squarehead (pejorative)

"Squarehead", a generic derogatory term for people from Germany and Scandinavia; Commonly used for Germans during the First and Second World War, but found in a collection of slang from 1906 relating particularly to German military style. The term ''Boxhead'', commonly used after World War II within the British Armed Forces in the former West Germany is derived from this.


Erics

First came to prominence in the English 1983 television show '' Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''. It was a term used by the English and Irish when referring to Germans without them knowing it was them being talked about.


Other countries


Austria


Piefke (pejorative)

The
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n ethnic slur for a German is ''Piefke''. Like its Bavarian counterpart ''Saupreiß'' (literally: sow-Prussian), the term ''Piefke'' historically characterized only the people of
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
, and not people of other Germanic states. There are two hypotheses on how the term developed; both of them suggest an origin in the 1860s. One theory suggests that the term came from the name of the popular Prussian composer Johann Gottfried Piefke, who composed some of the most iconic German military marches, for example ''
Preußens Gloria Preußens Gloria, Armeemarschsammlung II, 240, is a well-known military march of the 19th century, composed by Johann Gottfried Piefke (1817–1884). "Preußens Gloria" ("The Glory of Prussia" or "Prussia's Glory") was written in 1871 after th ...
'' and the '' Königgrätzer Marsch'' – particularly since Piefke and his brother conducted the Prussian music corps in the parade in Austria following the Prussian victory of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. The second theory suggests an origin in the
Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. T ...
in 1864, where Prussians and Austrians were allies. A Prussian soldier with the name ''Piefke'' and a stereotypically ''Prussian'' gruff and snappy manner made such a negative impression on his Austrian comrades that the term came to refer to all Prussians. Since Prussia no longer exists, the term now refers to the cliché of a pompous northern
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
German in general and a
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
er in particular. However, the citizens of the free Hanseatic cities and the former northern duchies of Oldenburg, Brunswick and Mecklenburg are also quite offended by the terms ''Piefke'' and also by ''Saupreiß'' (a slur for any German who is not native Bavarian). In 1990, Austrian playwright Felix Mitterer wrote and co-directed a TV mini-series, ''Die Piefke-Saga'', about Germans on holiday in Tyrol. Sometimes the alteration "Piefkinese" is used. Some Austrians use the playful term "Piefkinesisch" (Pief-Chinese) to refer to German spoken in a distinctly northern German – that is, not Austrian – accent.


Marmeladinger (pejorative)

The term ''Marmeladinger'' originated in the trenches of World War I. It is derived from the German word "Marmelade", which is a
fruit preserve Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the met ...
. While Austrian infantry rations included butter and lard as spread, German troops had to make do with cheaper
ersatz An ersatz good () is a substitute good, especially one that is considered inferior to the good it replaces. It has particular connotations of wartime usage. Etymology ''Ersatz'' is a German word literally meaning ''substitute'' or ''replacement ...
"Marmelade". They disdainfully called it ''Heldenbutter'' "hero's butter" or '' Hindenburgfett''. This earned them ridicule from their Austrian allies who would call them ''Marmeladebrüder'' (jam brothers) or ''Marmeladinger'' (-''inger'' being an Austrian
derivational suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carry gr ...
describing a person through a characteristic item or action). Germans would conversely call Austrians ''Kamerad Schnürschuh'' "comrade lace-up shoe" because the Austrian infantry boots used laces while the German boots did not. This term has survived, but it is rarely used.


Serbia


Švabo, Švaba (pejorative)

The Term ''Švabo'' (Cyrillic: Швабо) is most often used in jokes but also very popularly used by the
Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод� ...
during the Second World War. In the SFR Yugoslavia it was commonly used in movies depicting battles betweens the Partisans and Nazi forces. The word in its origin is not pejorative since it is used to depict a person from the German region of Swabia; however, the word probably entered the
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also * * * Old Serbian (disambiguation ...
languages in relation to the Danube Swabians. The variant Švaba (Шваба) is primarily used in the Serbian language. The female form is ''Švabica'' (Швабица). In Czech and Slovak
šváb
also means 'cockroach', but the association with a word for Germans still exists.


China


Jiamen (colloquial)

In Shanghainese, a German can be colloquially called a ''Jiamen'' (茄門/茄门), which is an adaptation of the English word "German". This word carries a somewhat negative meaning of a stereotypical German being proud, withdrawn, cold and serious. Today, this phrase, when pronounced as "Ga-Men", can mean "disdainful, indifferent, or uninterested in someone or something".


Chile

Among the Mapuche-Huilliche of Futahuillimapu in southern Chile German settlers are known as ''leupe lonko'' meaning blond heads.


Czech Republic

In Czech, a German can be called a ''Skopčák'' (skopchāk), originally meaning just someone from the highlands (of the Sudeten mountains). Due to the negative perception of the Sudeten Germans′ role in the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia in 1938–9, it is generally perceived negatively, relating to rough and stupid manners ascribed to Germans (skopová hlava - muttonhead).


Finland

During the Lapland War between
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
and Germany, the terms ''saku'', ''sakemanni'', ''hunni'' and ''lapinpolttaja'' (burner of Lapland, see: Lapland War) became widely used among the Finnish soldiers, ''saku'' and ''sakemanni'' being modified from ''saksalainen'' (German).


France


Boches (pejorative, historical)

''Boches'' is an apheresis of the word ''alboche'', which in turn is a
blend A blend is a mixture of two or more different things or substances; e.g., a product of a mixer or blender. Blend Blend may also refer to: * Blend word, a word formed from parts of other words * ''Blend'' (album), a 1996 album by BoDeans * B ...
of ''allemand'' (French for German) and ''caboche'' (slang for ''head''). It was used mainly during the First and
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
s, and directed especially at German soldiers.


Casque à pointe (historical)

''Casque à pointe'' is derived from the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
name for the traditional Prussian military helmets worn by German soldiers from the 1840s until
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. In modern French Sign Language the word for Germany continues to be an index finger pointed to the top of the forehead, simulating the Pickelhaube.


Chleuh (pejorative)

''Chleuh'' derives from the name of the Chleuh, a Berber ethnic group in
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
. It also denotes the absence of words beginning in Schl- in French.


Germany


Ossi/Wessi

The term ''Ossi'', derived from the German word ''Osten'' which means east, is used in Germany for people who were born in the area of the former
German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...
. The term ''Wessi'', derived from the German word ''Westen'' which means west, is used in Germany for people who were born or live in the old states of Germany (those that formed the Federal Republic or "West Germany" before reunification). Sometimes it is also modified to "Besserwessi", from the German word ''Besserwisser'' which means Know-it-all, reflecting the stereotype that people from the Western part of Germany are arrogant. In 2010 there was a lawsuit in Germany because a job applicant was denied employment and her application was found to have the notation "Ossi" and a minus sign written on her application documents. A German court decided that denial of employment for such a reason would be discrimination, but not ethnic discrimination, since "East German" is not an ethnicity.


Other Terms

The term '' Kartoffel'' (German for potato) is a derogatory slang term used by other cultures to describe Germans. It is also used in a humorous way and as a self-denomination. The term ''Saupreiß'', derived from the German words ''Sau'' (= 'sow') which means female pig and ''Preuße'' which means Prussian, is used in
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
for people who were born or live in any German area north of the
Danube river The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
, or at least north of the Bavarian border. A number of other terms exist. Similar to the Polish ''Szwab'', the term ''Schwab'' can be pejorative and be used to express
Schwabenhass ''Schwabenhass'' (German for ''hatred against Swabians'') is a neologism referring to the aversion to the approximately 300,000-strong Swabian diaspora in Berlin and elsewhere in Germany outside of Swabia. In 2013, the so-called ''Spätzle-stre ...
. Various – more or less good-humoured – nicknames are being used between the different German states or areas, such as ''Gelbfüßler'' ("Yellowfeet") for the inhabitants of
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden i ...
.


Hungary


Sváb

The term ''sváb'' derives from the German word "Schwaben", describing people from
Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...
(ger: Schwaben). The first German-speaking people, Saxon merchants and miners, later becoming Carpathian Germans, first arrived to the Carpathian basin (then mostly under rule of the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coronation of the Hungarian monarch, c ...
) in the 12th century, their numbers and territory of settlement were limited, mainly in towns. In the 18th century various German-speaking peasant groups settled in Hungary in large numbers to inhabit the vast territories being depopulated during the Osman rule, they are known as Danube Swabians (Donauschwaben), though most of their forefathers have Bavarian or Thuringian roots. They settled mainly where the destruction was most severe, especially around Buda (now part of
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
), Danube valley and southern part of Hungary. Although they have assimilated in large parts until the beginning of the 20th century, they maintained strong cultural identity up to date. These people, and through them German people in general are called ''svábok'' (plural), having a hint of pejorative nature.


Labanc

The term ''labanc'' came into use during Rákóczi's War of Independence. It was specifically used for the soldiers fighting for the Austrian/German soldiers of the Habsburg rulers. There are multiple theories about where it came from, such as being a strange concatenation of the German term "Lauf Hans!" (Run Hans!) or the French term ''Le Blanc'' (the white one), it might also be a reference to the Hungarian word ''lobonc'' which referred to the large, common wig, which used to be common in the Vienna court at the time. Now ''Labanc'' is exclusively used for Austrians, but becomes rare in usage as there are no tensions between the two countries. Still however, the expression describes mentality or behaviour that is counter to general Hungarian interest and describes persons not content with "true" Hungarian values.


Israel


Yekke

For the Jews who came from the German speaking world, there was a word in use for many years : " Yekke", in Yiddish and
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
. One of the explanations of the name in Hebrew is "Yehudi Kshe Havana" יהודי קשה הבנה "A Jew who hardly understands" for the so called "stiffness of their mentality".


Italy


Crucco (pejorative)

The term ''crucco'' derived from the Croatian and Slovenian ''kruh'' ("bread"). Italian soldiers invented this word during World War I when they captured some hungry Austrian-Croatian and Austrian-Slovenian soldiers who asked for "kruh". Later, during World War II, it was applied to German people.


Tuder / Tudro (pejorative)

''Tudro'' designates Germans as a people lacking flexibility and fantasy, but also emotional intelligence. It is more widely adopted to describe a sturdy and stupid man. Tudro is mainly used in Northern Italy. ''Tuder'' is the Lombard usage of the word.


Latvia


Fricis

''Fricis'' derives from the German name Fritz.


Zili pelēkie

''Zili pelēkie'', literally translated, means "The Blue-Grays", from the Prussian war uniforms of the pre-
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
era. The term appeared in a popular Latvian legionnaire wartime song ''Ik katru sestdien's vakaru'' ("Every saturday night") about trouncing the blue-grays after beating up reds (''sarkanos'') or lice-infested ones (''utainos'') – the
Soviets Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union. Nationality policy in ...
.


Netherlands and Belgium


Mof (pejorative)

In Dutch the most common term for the
German people , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
, after the regular/official "Duitse", is ''mof''. It is regarded as a pejorative term, used exclusively for Germans and reflecting Dutch resentment of the German occupation of the Netherlands during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
and the respective German actions.Prisma Etymologisch woordenboek, . "''Mof heeft historisch gezien niet de huidige betekenis (die van een verwijzing naar de Duitsers en hun acties tijdens de Tweede wereldoorlog) maar …''" In the late 16th century the area just beyond the current northeast border between the Netherlands and Germany now known as East Frisia and Emsland, as well as the people that lived there, used to be referred to as ''Muffe''. Some time later it evolved into an informal designation, still not a pejorative, of someone from Germany in general; however the term seemed to have died out around 1900. Then it was revived to a far greater use and with negative connotations ever since Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940.Why Germans are called "''moffen''"
( Dutch)
A popular humorous (but false) etymology of the word ''mof'' by the Dutch is that it is a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
abbreviation meaning ''Menschen ohne Freunde'' ("people without friends"). Germany was known as ''Mofrika'', an amalgamation of ''mof'' and ''Afrika'', during WW2.


Pruus(j)

''Pruus'' or ''Pruusj'', is a friendly but somewhat mocking term, used in the south eastern part of The Netherlands as part of the ' Limburg dialect'.


Poep

''Poep'' is a term used in the northern eastern part of The Netherlands, in the province of Drenthe, referring to a German from nearby
Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...
. It is said that the etymological reference points to the German word ''Bube'' (=boy) yet this is unconfirmed. * A ''blaaspoep'' is a German playing a brass instrument * ''blaaspoepenmuziek'' is German brass band music * ''Poepenland'' refers to Germany


Poland


Fryc (pejorative)

Means
novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...
, and comes from the German name Fritz, which is a diminutive of Friedrich. German trade and settlements acquainted Poles with this name. German coming to Poland was actually a novice hence was called ''Fryc''.


Prusak (pejorative)

Historically characterized only the people of
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
, not people of other Germanic states. During Partitions of Poland under Prussian Partition gained negative connotations. ''Prusak'' also refers to
German cockroach The German cockroach (''Blattella germanica''), colloquially known as the croton bug, is a species of small cockroach, typically about long. In color it varies from tan to almost black, and it has two dark, roughly parallel, streaks on the prono ...
.


Szkop (pejorative)

Contemptuous term for a German, especially a soldier of the Wehrmacht during World War II. In the past, the word ''szkop'' in the
Polish language Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In ad ...
meant a castrated ram.


Szwab (pejorative)

Another popular term, originally meaning a person from
Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...
. It is worth noting that a colloquial verb "oszwabić" means "to rook", "to fleece".


Other terms

Another pejorative term for a German (and, stereotypically, unattractive) woman is ''niemra'', coming from a word "Niemka" (a woman of German nationality). This term can also mean a female German language teacher or German language classes. Similarly, the term for the Germans can be ''niemiaszki''. It does not have to be pejorative, it may be permissive or irreverent, but it may also be used in an almost caressing way. Next term is '' Helmut'' that refers to the popular German name. Another pejorative term for a German is '' szołdra'' (plural: ''szołdry''). However, it is an
old Polish The Old Polish language ( pl, język staropolski, staropolszczyzna) was a period in the history of the Polish language between the 10th and the 16th centuries. It was followed by the Middle Polish language. The sources for the study of the ...
term, out of use nowadays. It can be found in 19th century historical novels by Henryk Sienkiewicz and Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. It comes from a term meaning pork or ham. Next pejorative and historical term is ''pluder'' came from
Hose (clothing) Hose are any of various styles of men's clothing for the legs and lower body, worn from the Middle Ages through the 17th century, when the style fell out of use in favour of breeches and stockings. The old plural form of "hose" was "hosen". ...
being the part of warderobe.


Russia

Fritz, — the German name Fritz Gans, — the German name
Hans Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjab ...
Kolbasnik, - an outdated (used mostly before 1940s) pejorative term, which verbally meant "a sausage-maker".


Spain


Tudesco (historical)

In Early Modern Spanish (for example in '' Don Quixote''), ''tudesco'' (cognate with ''deutsch'' and the Italian ''tedesco'') was used sometimes as a general name for Germans'' Don Quixote'', Second Part, chapter LIV, Miguel de Cervantes: Sancho Panza meets some pilgrims (''alemán o tudesco'') from
Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...
.
and sometimes restricted to
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
.
tudesco
' in the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española.
''Don Quixote'', Second part, chapter V: ''¿Cuántos son los alemanes, tudescos, franceses, españoles, italianos y esguízaros?'' "How many are the Almains, Dutch, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Italians and Swiss?"


Switzerland


Gummihals (pejorative)

German for ''rubber-neck''. The term has been verified to be in use since the 1970s at least. Its actual meaning is subject to debate. Theories include the stereotype of Germans talking too much or nodding their heads endlessly when listening to superiors.Bruno Ziauddin: Grüezi Gummihälse. Warum uns die Deutschen manchmal auf die Nerven gehen. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2008,


Schwab (pejorative)

The ordinary (non-pejorative) meaning is people from
Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...
(roughly Baden-Württemberg) in South Germany, neighbouring Switzerland, but in Switzerland it is used for any German. A strengthening is Sauschwabe.


See also

* Anti-German sentiment * Barbarian * List of ethnic slurs by ethnicity * Names of Germany


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terms Used For Germans, List Of Terms German culture-related lists
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...